He next takes the brush, which has been boiled, out of the water and cleans the patient's skin for a considerable distance about the wound. When this is done, and the water and cotton which have been boiled are sufficiently cool, the wound should be bathed with the cotton and boiled water until all foreign matter has been removed from the wound; not only dirt which can be seen, but germs which cannot be seen. Some of the boiled cotton cloth or absorbent cotton, wet as it is, should be placed over the wound and the whole covered by a bandage. Large gaping wounds are of course more properly closed by stitches, but very deep wounds should be left partly open, so that the discharge may drain away freely. Small, deep, punctured wounds are not to be closed at all, but should be sedulously kept open by pushing in strips of boiled cotton cloth, in order to secure drainage. If the attendant has the requisite confidence, there is no reason why he should not attempt stitching a wound, providing the patient is willing, and a surgeon cannot be obtained within twenty-four hours. In this case a rather stout, common sewing needle or needles are threaded with black or white thread, preferably of silk, and, together with a pair of scissors and a clean towel, are boiled in the same utensil with the cotton and the nail brush. After the operator has scrubbed his hands and cleansed the wound, he places the boiled towel about the wound so that the thread will fall on it during his manipulations and not on the skin. The needle should be thrust into and through the skin, but no lower than this, and should enter and leave the skin about a quarter of an inch from either edge of the wound. The stitches are placed about one-half inch apart, and are drawn together and tied tightly enough to join the two edges of the wound. The ends of the thread should be cut about one-half inch from the knot, being careful while using the needle and scissors not to lay them down on anything except the boiled towel. The wound is then covered with cotton, which has been boiled as described above, bandaged and left undisturbed for a week, if causing no pain. At the end of this time the stitches are taken out after the attendant has washed his hands carefully, and boiled his scissors as before. Court plaster or plaster of any kind is a bad covering or dressing for wounds, as it may be itself contaminated with germs. It effectually keeps in any with which the wound is already infected, and prevents proper drainage. It is impossible in a work of this kind to describe the details of the after treatment of wounds, as this can only be properly undertaken by a surgeon, owing to the varying conditions which may arise. In general it may be stated that the same cleanliness and care should be followed during the whole course of healing as has been outlined for the first attempt at treatment.